64 Bit Windows XP Pro now available

[o_someoldguy]

Here At Last: Microsoft Ships 64-Bit Windows XP Pro and Server 2003
Microsoft cautions users that the required 64-bit drivers may not be
available yet, but the long-awaited Athlon 64, Opteron, and 64-bit Pentium 4
and Xeon versions of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 are
finally on the market, at the same price as their 32-bit predecessors. The
upgrade is $12 for shipping and handling, with a few strings attached.

http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardw...l/news/5831/1/

Here is the kicker:

The x64 Editions are priced identically to their 32-bit counterparts. Owners of compatible PCs ordered between March 31, 2003 and July 31, 2005 that came with 32-bit Windows XP Professional preinstalled are entitled to an upgrade ($12 for shipping and handling in the U.S., $22 internationally). Microsoft cautions, however, that the upgrade will void both your PC warranty and 32-bit Win XP license and require a backup and reformat of your hard drive, and that the required 64-bit drivers may not be available for all your hardware -- Windows XP x64 will not work with 32-bit drivers. The upgrade includes one free support call for installation-related issues.

[o_bobserversupport]

M$ can shove that crap up their @$$. Its just a scam for people too dumb to wait for longhorn.

There arent even any 64bit games or applications out yet for the mainstream and most of them (ie. Unreal 3 and Duke Nukem Forever) are waiting for Longhorn to come out b4 they release anyway

[o_someoldguy]

bob, you might like this editorial, which tends to support your comments:

http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardw...orials/5828/1/

[o_bobserversupport]

hehe ya wasnt trying to slam your post just get tired of M$ taking people's money

[o_thedarkone]

Yes, it's annoying you have to reformat your drive, but I don't see why you're complaining.

Microsoft isn't trying to sell this to the masses- it's being pushed towards workstations and the like. You know, places where 64-bit capabilities will be useful.

[o_bobserversupport]

still a waste of money. Like I said there really isnt a need for 64bit yet. The software side is just too far behind the hardware. First of all there arent even drivers for most hardware to even run in 64bit and secondly 32bit isnt fully utilized much the same as all these people running out and buying PCI-X video cards when AGP 8x throughput still isnt full utilized. Longhorn will be out by late 2006 anyway. This is simply M$ tryign to keep up with the Macintosh OS and make a little money for a sloppy port of xp 32-bit to 64bit to hold people over until longhorn.

[o_groovyf]

I'm happily running RTM x64 Pro at work. Got all the drivers for my Shuttle's chipset, LAN and 6600GT gfx card.

I'm sure it will cope with what I throw at it.

[o_|404|innoc-tpf-]

64 bit...crash faster...

Sincerely doubt this is true blue, fromt the ground up, 64 bit. Probably the same slap dash 32 bit over 16 bit crap we saw slapped on in previous generations.

[o_bobserversupport]

Ya it is Longhorn will be from the ground up. xp 64-bit is just a joke unless youve got some 64bit game in beta form or something and just cant wait to try it wait for longhorn.

[o_travis dane]

The other random nugget that was new to me is the codebase that Win64 is built from. Rather than XP, Win64 is derived from Server 2003

- The Inquirer

Not entirely a cheap and sloppy port by the looks of things. Aside the fact the consumer might not have too much benefit out of a 64Bit OS at the moment, developers will. And it's comfortable to know that there already is a capable OS when you're starting to develop for 64Bit.